Rain Lightning and a Little bit of Thunder
by JennyGranger
Summary: Harry and Hermione are at Grimmauld Place for the summer, and there's a storm one night. Is the storm the only thing brewing, or is there love in the air for our favorite witch and wizard? HHr OneShot


Yes. Another story. This one I started about six months ago when I was bored and just finished today. Don't worry. It's a one-shot, so it won't distract me from SheWolf and Christmas Magic. Enjoy! (No HBP spoilers as I wrote this before HBP came out)

Rain, Lightning, and A Little bit of Thunder

HP fanfic by JennyGranger

Disclaimer: I don't own nothin' but the plot!

It was 11:00 pm at number 12 Grimmauld Place and Hermione Granger couldn't sleep. She and her best friend, Harry Potter, were stuck there for the summer while the Ministry figures out the whereabouts of Lord Voldemort, the most feared wizard in a century.

The reason Hermione couldn't sleep was because it was raining. She didn't mind the rain during the day, but when it's pounding on the window consistently while you're trying to sleep, it's enough to drive anyone through the wall. However, she had given up on sleep about two hours ago, and was reading using her wand light.

Hermione loved reading, and Harry probably would have found her laying in bed the next morning with the book still clutched in her hand, if it hadn't been for the thunder.

It came so unexpectedly, that Hermione jumped so high, she was surprised she didn't hit her head on the ceiling. She hated storms.

Now, knowing she would never get to sleep with a storm brewing, she decided to take a nearly-midnight stroll around the empty old house.

She flung the blanket off and felt the cold air sting her bare arms. She put her bare feet on the cold hardwood floor and wished she had some slippers and a robe right now.

As she walked around the house, she was grateful that Lupin and Tonks had finally set free Kreacher (or just forced him to go work at Hogwarts with Dobby and Winky). Either way, he was out of the house for good. She was also grateful that they had finally gotten down that old (and annoying) portrait of Sirius' mother. The last thing she needed right now was an old house-elf and a crazy old portrait telling her to get out of the house and calling her a 'mudblood.'

As she walked around the house, the thunder only got louder, and she decided she didn't want to be alone anymore. After a particularly loud thunderclap which made her visibly jump, she went back up to the second landing, to Harry's room.

Harry, who couldn't sleep either, sat up when his door creaked open.

"Mione? Come here. What's wrong?"

Hermione walked over as a lightning flash illuminated the room and Harry could clearly see the tears rolling down her cheeks.

"What's wrong?"

However, Harry got his answer a second later, when the loudest thunderclap yet sounded, shaking the whole house, and causing Hermione to grab his arm and bury her head into his shoulder.

Harry started rubbing her back soothingly with his free hand and was startled at how bad she was shaking.

"Come on. You can't tell me that Hermione Granger, the bravest witchto graceHogwarts, is afraid of a little thunderstorm?" Harry said, and Hermione, while not taking her head from his shoulder, kicked him. "Ow. Okay, maybe you are afraid, but what do you want be to do? Wish the storm away for you?" Harry said as another thunderclap sounded, causing Hermione to whimper and her grip on his arm to tighten.

"Can I stay here with you?" she said, barely audible, since her face was still buried in his shoulder.

"Sure. It's okay. Come here," Harry said (now convinced that Hermione was scared and was actually trying to comfort her), and gently laid her down on his pillow (which was hard, because she showed no intention to let go of his arm).

After Harry had gotten Hermione to lay down (and let go of his arm) he laid down behind her and she immediately rolled around so she was facing his chest. Harry could see the goose-bumps on her arms from the cold.

Harry reached down and pulled the blanket that Hermione had knocked on the floor and spread it out over them, with most of it over Hermione, trying to get her warmed up.

About a half hour later, the storm finally started to die down. Harry looked down and saw something that surprised him and made him smile. Hermione was sleeping, still tucked into his chest.

Harry, then, did something that he would never have done had she been awake, and softly kissed her forehead, causing her to smile in her sleep.

Harry pulled the blanket up to her chin and her hand moved so that it was on his bare chest (he was only wearing pajama pants while she was wearing pajama pants and a tank top). The soft touch of her fingers on his skin was pleasing and tickled slightly.

Harry tucked a stray strand of her hair behind her ear and marveled at how peaceful and angelic her face looked when she slept.

'_What could she be dreaming about_?' Harry wondered, but learned, a few minutes later that Hermione talked (or at least mumbled) in her sleep. At first all of it was incoherent, but he heard something that made his heart stop. His own name. '_Why would she be dreaming about me_?'

Soon, however, Harry fell asleep, and all conscious thought left his mind.

The next morning, Hermione woke up, and was startled at first to feel an arm around her waist, holding her down. Then the memories of the previous night came flooding back to her mind. She smiled, but jumped when the arm around her waist tightened its grip. She looked up and saw Harry smiling at her.

"Good morning," he said and Hermione smiled back at him, "Feel better?"

For the first time, Hermione noticed that the storm from the previous night had blown itself out.

"Much," she said, guiding Harry's arm off her and sitting up, "Thank you. I hope I didn't impose."

"Don't worry about it, and you're welcome," Harry sat up, too, and tucked a few stray strands of her hair behind her ear, marveling at how beautiful she looked in the early morning sun.

_Wait,_ Harry thought, _beautiful? I don't think Hermione's beautiful. She's my best friend!_

**But you do**, said a small (truthful) voice in his head.

_I do?_

**Yes. You're just afraid of it.**

_I am?_

"Harry?" Hermione's voice knocked him out of his torpor. "Anything wrong?"

"Huh?"

"You're just staring off into space. Anything wrong?"

"No. I'm just thinking."

"About anything in particular?"

_Does she know?_

"Umm, maybe?"

Hermione just giggled and scooted closer to him. Harry could feel a bright red blush find its way up his neck and onto his face.

Despite the heat Hermione could feel radiating off of him, she just laughed and shook her head, marveling at how silly he could get. (AN: I realize that doesn't really make sense, but just go with it)

"Harry, you can be such a goofball," she said, still laughing. Harry loved hearing her laugh, and didn't want her to stop.

"Oh, yeah? Well, how about this?" he said, and he started tickling her. She screamed with laughter and involuntarily fell, almost falling off the bed, but Harry caught her.

After a few minutes, Harry finally gave into her pleading and stopped tickling her.

"Thanks, Harry," she said, snuggling up to him again, "you know, for everything."

"Sure thing," he said, bowing his head, taking in the smell of her hair.

_Oh, god. She smells so good, he thought, Wait. Do I really think that? She's my best friend, for Merlin's sake! I can't be thinking this kind of stuff about her!_

**You're such a dolt, Harry. You know she feels the same way about you.**

_She does?_

**Yes! Are you blind? Look at her!**

"Harry?" Hermione asked, "Hello? Anybody home?"

"Huh?"

"Are you sure you're feeling all right, Harry? That's the second time you've just started staring off into space."

Harry thought about this for a minute, and when he did answer, it was almost like he had expected this to happen.

"No, Hermione," he said, not even looking at her, "I'm not alright. There's been something that I have waited to tell you for two and a half years. Something that has been eating away at me since third year, and especially last year."

"What is it?" Hermione asked, concerned.

"Can I just show you?" Harry asked, looking directly into her eyes, "Words probably won't work for me right now."

"Sure," Hermione said, thinking it couldn't be _that_ serious if he waited two and a half years to tell her.

Hermione's mind went blissfully blank as Harry brought to her a moment both of them would remember forever. Their first kiss. Harry's lips crashed into hers, taking on the pleasing sensation of her soft, velvety ones.

It was a sweet kiss and both of them knew that this was how it was meant to be. Forever.

A/N:

Aww. Sweetness. Don't you just love fluff (if you would consider it that. It's my first attempt at H/Hr fluff, or any fluff for that matter). Anyway, Read and Review. Flames keep me warm at night. TTFN


End file.
